


Then Came a Samoyed.

by jaemnoya



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, M/M, Post-Break Up, Romance, jeno owns a samoyed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 07:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16949526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaemnoya/pseuds/jaemnoya
Summary: in which a samoyed named chuseok comes running to jaemin and he never would've expected who the owner is.





	Then Came a Samoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> credits to one of my favorite artist on twitter, nomincloset, for this idea!
> 
> i've written a quick tweet fic when i saw their art, and i received a lot of responses on writing it!
> 
> i wrote a drabble, then i thought of writing the whole thing for this christmas event!
> 
> i hope you enjoy! ^^

The breeze turned colder as days passed, winter steadily taking over. People started to wear thicker and warmer clothes, hiding from the cold under the layers. Heat packs started becoming displayed outside stores. Scarves and mittens were taken out and several shops offered complimentary hot drinks for the passing potential customers who need to take a quick break from the freezing environment.

Along with winter came the season of gift-giving - the awaited Christmas holiday. Shops started to decorate their windows and entrances with red and green garlands, white and gold accents on some. Some stores have tiny details of Santa and his reindeers while some had smiling snowmen. Bakeries started offering sweets in colors of Christmas and restaurants introduced limited Christmas offers

“Looking for a gift, young sir? Come in! We have plenty of choices to choose from!”

A cheerful middle-aged man greeted, gesturing at the warm indoors of his shop. Jaemin apologetically smiled in reply.

“Oh, no, thank you. I’m just having a stroll.”

“Is that so? Have a nice day!”

“You too.”

Jaemin continued with his stroll, window-shopping over shops that piqued his interest. He didn’t really have anything to buy; he was already done with his Christmas shopping after all. He just wanted to go out and breathe some fresh air - although there were some slight regrets as this ‘fresh air’ is a little too cold for him. He shivered at the cold wind suddenly passing by.

Feeling a little tired from his walk, he thought of heading towards the nearby park. He passed by a small coffee shop and decided to grab something hot to warm himself up. He pondered on getting coffee - he missed his crazy eight shots of espresso - but ended up ordering hot chocolate instead. _It’s for my own good._ He told himself. _Not because of him._

He found a free bench in the wide park and stayed there, placing his cup of hot chocolate beside him. He smiled fondly as he watched the kids in their thick padded jackets run around. _How energetic even during winter._ Jaemin wondered if that’s what really kept them warm. He thought of playing with them, or maybe just running around, but it would be a little silly for him to run around so he decided to just stick to his warm drink.

Jaemin shivered again as the cold wind blew on his direction, proceeding to sip on his drink to warm himself up. He didn’t want to go home yet; he had nothing to do there and something tells him that he shouldn’t go home anytime soon. He ends up watching the people in the park.

Despite the cold breeze, there were fairly a lot of people in the park. Jaemin figured it was because it’s a Sunday so a lot of them decided to go to the park to relax and break free from the everyday stress. There were few families having a picnic on the provided picnic tables. There were some people jogging around, probably also to keep their bodies warm. There were a few couples having a date, clinging close to each other for warmth.

Jaemin eventually finished his warm drink but still felt cold. Although today’s weather is a little bit more forgiving compared to the other days, he couldn’t help but shiver; he was never one for the winter wind. He wondered to himself why on earth is he torturing himself in this freezing outdoors, then promptly remembered that the last time he simply stayed at home, he ended up being bored and feeling unproductive. He sighed to himself. _Why am I alone on a Sunday?_

Well, he knows why. All his friends are too busy either being with their lover or preparing for the upcoming Christmas parties. He didn’t have his special one and he didn’t exactly like helping in the brainstorming part of planning. He preferred the hard labor where he just has to put the garlands and such on the walls.

While he was absorbed in thought, he didn’t notice the approaching white Samoyed that was running towards him. He was shaken out of his thoughts when the happy dog stood and placed its paws on his lap. He jumped on his seat, eyes widening at the sudden appearance of the creature (which was rather adorable so Jaemin wasn’t complaining.)

“Why, hello~” Jaemin greeted, his hands waving. He reached for its head and sought for confirmation. When the large dog didn’t flinch or growl at him, he decided to continue and pats its head. “Are you lost, sweetie? You’re so warm. Could you keep me company for a while?”

Jaemin placed both of his hands on the dog’s neck, playing with its white fur and cooing at how beautiful it was. He giggled at how behaved it was, just enjoying his attention and wagging its tail. He stroked through its fur and noticed how it was well-maintained. He smiled, feeling a little better. Maybe this is why he thought of not going home yet. He was supposed to meet this adorable creature! He thought that today is a good day for him.

Or at least, until he heard a voice that he knew too well to not recognize.

“Chuseok!” At the call of its name, the Samoyed immediately got off Jaemin’s lap and ran to the owner of the voice. Jaemin froze in his place when the person spoke again. “There you are! Why do you keep on running off?”

Jaemin didn’t dare to look up to confirm his guess, too scared to see him again. However, his curiosity slowly got the best of him, so he took a peek. Across him, just a few steps away from him, was a black-haired guy whose face he never expected to see so suddenly again. He felt his eyes watering and took a deep breath to keep himself composed. He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall any second now.

When he calmed down, Jaemin opened his eyes again. The person seemed to be still handling his hyperactive dog, a smile plastered on his face as he did his best to calm his pet down. It was happily leaning on his lap, tail wagging side to side as it thought that the owner was playing with him. Jaemin wasn’t sure how to properly react to the situation, but when the dog pounced on its owner and ending up both of them on the ground, Jaemin couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

That’s when the other realized Jaemin’s presence - or perhaps remembered that he was right there. Surely, he noticed that his dog was ‘bothering’ someone after running away from him?

“...Jaemin?”

Jaemin’s smile fell when the guy finally noticed him.

“It’s… been awhile, Jen...o.”

Jaemin decided to stand up and help Jeno get up, which was hold his dog in place so that he wouldn’t get pounced on again.

“Thanks. She’s a lively one.”

“Seems like it. She pounced on me too.”

Jaemin proceeded to stroke its fur again, smiling softly at how soft it was.

“Oh, did she? I’m sorry. Did you get hurt?”

Jaemin wasn’t sure if time just skipped for a few seconds but Jeno was suddenly right in front of him, just a few inches away from him. His gaze was on him, looking for scratches that his dog might have given Jaemin.

Instead of moving away, Jaemin only stayed still, observing Jeno’s features closely once again, like he used to do. When he realized his actions - and being caught staring by Jeno for a millisecond - he immediately backed away, ending up falling on his butt. Jeno’s eyes widened and dashed to his side.

“Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes, I’m fine!” Jaemin got up, Jeno trying to help but he rejected his hand and stood by himself. “I-I’m fine on my own.”

Jaemin wasn’t sure if he was telling Jeno that he could stand up on his own or he meant something else, but either way he hated how he stuttered, and his voice sounded weak. He gulped and stepped back. Jeno looked at him with concerned eyes.

“...Sorry. I shouldn’t have surprised you like that. I’m sure… you’re uncomfortable with me.”

Jeno rubbed his nape, looking away.

“It’s not that - I’m over it.” Jaemin wasn’t sure if he said that for Jeno or for himself. He tried to think of something to change the subject and remove the awkward atmosphere between them. “Since when did you get her? She’s a beauty.”

“Three months ago.”

“And your cats…?”

Jeno chuckled.

“They used to fight - well, my cats didn’t particularly like her because she was too hyper - but eventually they learned to get along. I’m sure they’ll be clinging to her once we get home.”

“Well, she’s a sweetheart…” Jaemin softly gazed at the dog. “What’s her name again?”

“Chuseok.”

Jeno answered, crouching down to his dog to give it a scratch on the head. For a moment, Jaemin found it an odd name and he was about to act normal and tease Jeno about it, until he realized where he probably got it. His heart broke a little. _He still remembers that?_

“...That’s a weird name for a dog.”

“Well, I did get her during _Chuseok,_ so it was fitting.”

“That makes se-”

“Besides, I got it from you.” Jeno looked at Jaemin, a teasing smile on his face. However, Jaemin couldn’t bring himself to smile. “Remember? You were guessing my cats’ names because you couldn’t remember them and-”

“Yes, I remember. Very clearly.” Jaemin closed his eyes to calm himself down, inhaling and exhaling deeply to prevent himself from breaking down. “It was very embarrassing.”

“Was it? I find it cute though.”

At this point, Jaemin was convinced that Jeno was nowhere hurt from what happened between them as he has been acting normal the whole time. He felt even more miserable. He was right there, near in tears over seeing him again, while Jeno seemed to be unaffected. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“...Please excuse me.”

Jaemin walked away, his pace getting a little faster by the second. For a moment, he thought that Jeno would chase him, hold him by the wrist and make him face him, just like in dramas. He hoped that he would pull him back to his arms and ask for another chance to make their relationship work again. He could only wish that Jeno felt the same as him, longing for his comfort for all these years.

Except Jaemin was already out of the park and still, Jeno wasn’t behind him. Jaemin laughed at himself - “Of course. Why would he come back to me?” - and slowly sobbed to himself. He leaned on the brick wall and crouched down, covering his face to cry his tears out onto his gloves. He didn’t care if there were people around or if they were staring at him. He hated himself for thinking that Jeno still had this tiny ounce of love for him; he hated himself for thinking that Jeno felt the same.

Why would he? Jaemin was the one who broke them off. Jeno would, naturally, think that Jaemin wants them to be over and moved on himself. Jaemin wondered why he couldn’t do the same. He hated how it’s been almost three years, yet he couldn’t find himself to move on and love somebody else.

Amidst all that disappointment in himself, Jaemin couldn’t help but smile sadly over the thought that Jeno _still_ remembers their little silly moments, namely Jaemin calling one of his cats ‘Chuseok’. He couldn’t help but think that Jeno got a Samoyed because Jaemin used to mention he wanted to take care of one in the future. He wanted to believe that maybe, Jeno still loves him and they have a chance.

“But he didn’t run after me.” Jaemin reminded himself. “Fuck, he probably thinks I’m a weirdo for leaving off like that.” Jaemin let out a bitter chuckle and got up, wiping his remaining tears. He shook his head and slapped his cheeks. “Stop it, Jaemin. Stop this. Why do you keep on crying over him? You told him you didn’t want to be with him anymore. Why are you still yearning for him?”

Jaemin scolded himself as if he didn’t know the one answer to those questions. Jaemin took a deep breath then sighed, frustratingly running his hand through his hair.

_Because I still love him as if it was three years ago._

 

Winter continued to take over, bringing in colder winds. It has started snowing, and people started to care less over fashion and more on functionality. Jaemin was one of them, wearing thick padded jackets, a thick scarf and a beanie. However, unlike everybody else who found his solution enough to protect themselves from the cold, Jaemin was still freezing.

Despite his obvious weakness to the wintry environment, he wasn’t sure why he’s jogging at 5am in the park, wearing nothing but a long-sleeved sweater and jogging pants which are both obviously too thin for the weather for him. He told himself a beanie would help him, and it was fine for the first few minutes outside. It became better when he started jogging because his body was heating up.

However, when he started feeling tired and jogged a little slower, he felt chilly and the cold morning breeze didn’t help at all. He cursed himself for acting brave - he really should have stayed a lazy coward in his warm bed - and not checking the weather forecast before leaving. There weren’t people around in the park and after checking his phone during one of his short breaks, he found out that this is the coldest day so far. He really is an idiot.

He eventually gave up in being brave and headed towards the nearby coffee shop, sighing in relief when he felt that warm air welcome him as he entered. He could really use some piping hot coffee right now. He was able to get it quickly and find a seat for himself; business was a little slow as not a lot of people were dumb enough to go out in this freezing weather. After taking a sip, he felt his shoulders relaxing with the warmth seeping through his body.

Few minutes in and he hears the doorbell chime. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but his head whipped up to check who it was - he wasn’t expecting to meet anyone today - then immediately looked down. It was Jeno, with his white dog again. Jaemin was about to hope that Jeno would leave because his pet wouldn’t be allowed inside until he realized this is one of the few cafes that accepts pets indoors. He tried his best to look small, so he won’t get noticed.

Except, his sweater was a soft shade of mint and his hair was a soft shade of pink, so he wasn’t that hard to spot at a glance. When Jeno saw him, he did a tiny wave of his hand, patting his dog then pointing at Jaemin as if his pet could understand whatever he’s trying to tell it. Jaemin ended up shyly waving back when the Samoyed seemed to smile at him.

Jaemin hoped that was the end of it, but when Jeno got his drink, he decided to walk towards Jaemin’s table. He wanted to disappear right there but before he could even make a wish in his head, Jeno was already standing beside the chair, his hand on it.

“May I?”

Jaemin planned on saying no and tell him he doesn’t want to deal with his ex so early in the morning, but he found himself nodding and it would be too awkward to take it back when Jeno already got himself comfortable on the soft chair. That, and the Samoyed was too adorable to resist. It seems to be behaving well today, simply sitting down while its tail continued to wag and wipe the floor.

“Walking Chuseok again?”

“Yeah. It would be bad for her to laze around at home and since it’s cold anyway, it’s the perfect time for her to walk, considering her fur is really long.” Jeno explained, his hand on his pet’s head as he continued to gently stroke it. “What about you? What brings you out of this weather? Don’t you despise the cold?”

 _You still remember?_ Jaemin almost asked out loud. Thankfully, he was able to stop himself and managed to think of a better, less desperate answer to avoid further embarrassing himself in front of Jeno.

“I thought I could manage the cold and went on a jog. Turns out I’m still a weakling for it so here I am, warming myself up before I face it again on my way home.”

Okay, so maybe that also sounded embarrassing, but that still sounded less desperate than the other. Jeno chuckled then glanced at Jaemin’s drink, his smile turning into a frown when he noticed how dark the drink was.

“You’re _still_ drinking dark coffee? Didn’t I tell you that’s unhealthy?”

Jaemin huffed - _Why do you care,_ he wanted to ask but decided not to - and pulled his drink closer to him.

“I like how it tastes. I’m sorry for not being a baby like you.”

“What- I’m no baby! I also drink coffee!” Jeno crossed his arms, evidently offended. “I just opted for chocolate today. Unlike you, I don’t plan on drinking something that could kill me eventually.”

Jaemin rolled his eyes.

“Mind you, I stopped drinking this regularly. This is my first time drinking it again in a month. I just needed to warm myself up quickly and this was the best choice.”

“If you say so.” Jeno hummed, not entirely convinced. “Well, I’m not here to lecture you. I wanted to say ‘hi’ since you clearly left me _again_ out of the blue.”

Jaemin wondered if Jeno was referring to their sudden break up or something else - he has done that a lot back then, leaving Jeno so suddenly at the spur of complicated emotions. He wasn’t good at handling his feelings, so he always ended up running away.

“Sorry about that. You know me-”

“Well, why did you leave?”

Jeno asked and for a moment, Jaemin wondered if Jeno was asking about what happened recently or what happened three years ago. _Silly me. Of course, he’s referring to the recent one… He’s not hung up over us unlike me._

“Suddenly everything felt overwhelming. I couldn’t breathe, and I needed some space.” Jaemin looked away. “I guess I was… shocked over seeing you again. We haven’t been in touch in a while, so meeting you so randomly…”

“In a while? Jaemin, you’ve been avoiding me for three years.”

“I was not.”

“Then why did you stop going to parties after we broke up?” Jaemin stayed silent. “Why did you block my number? My social media accounts?” Jaemin tried to block out Jeno’s voice. “Why… did you throw me out of your life?”

“Because we were over, Jeno.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want to keep in touch with you. Jaemin, you are a big part of my life; my first love, my first relationship, and I know I am the same for you.” Jeno stopped himself from speaking further as he noticed his voice rising unintentionally. He didn’t want to shout. He calmed himself down then continued. “At least… don’t ignore me anymore.”

Jaemin didn’t want to spare a glance at Jeno. He was sure that along with his voice that sounded broken as he spoke, his face would have a mix of hurt in it. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Jeno at that state, because he knew it was his fault.

“...If I didn’t ignore you, I wouldn’t have been able to move on.”

“Move on? Move on from what? You’re the one who broke up with me. Wouldn’t you have moved on before dropping the bomb?”

Jaemin sighed.

“I thought so too.” He rubbed his temple with one hand then sighed again. “I thought I didn’t love you anymore - everything just felt so numb and bland back then. Our relationship just started to fall apart, and I got scared of dealing with it, so I ended what was left of us and shut it all out.” He leaned back on the chair, closing his eyes. “I didn’t even bother fighting for what made me so happy all those times. I thought… I thought that was the end of it.”

“Are you saying… you still had feelings for me back then?”

_I still have feelings for you, idiot._

“I guess I did. After realizing that, I wanted to talk to you but… I was scared. I ruined it for us and thought that you wouldn’t want to fix it with me, but I realized… I was just too scared to fix it myself. I didn’t want to be rejected so I left it like that, like a book I never finished reading.” Jaemin covered his face, feeling tears well up in his eyes. “I’m… sorry. I should’ve given us a little more thought. I should’ve given us a proper ending.”

“You should’ve given us another chance.” Jeno spoke, a sad smile on his face. Jaemin looked at him, wondering what he meant. “I’m not saying we should get back together - although I would love to, if I have to be honest - but we should’ve at least tried to give ourselves a better ending, so we could start a new-”

“Wait, what? You would love to what?”

“Ah…” Jeno scratched his nape. “I didn’t mean to say that right now…”

“I already heard it so please confirm it for me, or I won’t be able to sleep.”

“...I would love to pick up the broken pieces and put us back together, Jaemin. You remain to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I’ve… I’ve never been as happy ever since you walked out of my life.” Jeno sighed. “There was never a day I wasn’t thinking about you.”

Jaemin looked at Jeno to see if he was telling the truth and it was more than enough to confirm that he was. Jeno had this frustrated expression on his face, as if he has been keeping all of this in him this whole time.

“This sounds selfish of me but… why did you not try to stop me?”

“I only wanted the best for you, Jaemin. If letting you go would make you happy, if you would be happier if I was out of your life, I was willing to comply just for you. Still… There was never a day I hoped that you would come and text me again. There was never a day I prayed that I would see you again, just like in the park. I had it all planned in my mind - seeing you again, I’ll try to act normal and hopefully we can start anew. However… I messed up and had you run away from me again.”

“Why didn’t you chase for me?”

“I didn’t cross my mind that you’d want me to chase for you. I thought I would mess up what we could have.  Jaemin, I know you. When you feel miserable, company is not what you need but space. I knew that if I chased for you that day, you could shut me out again. I didn’t… want to ruin my chance with you.”

Jaemin let out a dry chuckle. Even after all these years, Jeno has been the understanding one. After all these years, he still knows him best. After all these years, Jeno remained to be the sweet guy Jaemin loves.

“You’ve… never changed.”

“No, I did. It’s just that my feelings for you didn’t. I still love you, Jaemin.” Before Jaemin could say anything else, Chuseok started barking rather loudly. Jeno apologized to the other customers and stood up. “Can we continue this outside? She needs to go.”

“Oh, um, sure.”

Jaemin followed Jeno outside, heading somewhere where Chuseok can freely mind her own business. Jeno quickly cleaned her mess up and the whole time, Jaemin just silently watched, wondering how their relationship will continue. As much as he wanted to get back together with Jeno, he was afraid that things might just fall out like before. It _has_ been three years. Maybe this is just them being confused over their sudden crossing of paths again.

“Did you get her when she was a puppy?”

“Ah, no. A friend from work gave her to me, said he couldn’t afford to give her the maintenance she needs. I… remembered you wanted one, so I decided to keep her. I named her Chuseok because of you. I never guessed… she would bring me to you.”

“Jeno…” Jaemin sighed. “I’m sorry, I just-” Jaemin felt his eyes tearing up again. “I just don’t know if we’ll work out. We broke up because we were falling out. I… I don’t want that to happen again.”

“Am I too late, then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Am I too late in bringing us back together? Do you really no longer hold any… feelings for me?”

“What? Where did you get that? I still love you, Jeno.”

“Then why are you talking as if we don’t even have a chance?”

“What makes you think we’re going to work out in the end? What if all of this is just an illusion and after a few weeks, we’ll fall out of love again? What if-”

“Are you not willing to at least give ourselves another try? If we don’t work out, then at least we could give ourselves a proper closure. At least we wouldn’t spend the rest of our lives hung up over a relationship we knew we could have fought for.” Jeno sighed in frustration, crouching down. “I’m willing to adjust and _try_ to make things work out just for you, Jaemin. I’m willing to go out of my way and walk the extra miles just for you. Perhaps… you don’t feel the same?”

Jaemin turned away, taking a deep breath. This is it. This is what he’s been playing in his mind all these years. He already planned out all the possible ways they could get back together - except he was too idealistic at those times that he never thought of himself hesitating to work things out with Jeno.

“...You’re always worth the extra mile, Jeno.” Jaemin turned to face him again. “I’m just afraid. I don’t know why, but I feel like we’ll fall apart.”

Jeno shook his head and got up, his hand hovering over Jaemin’s cheek.

“May I touch you?”

“...Go ahead.”

Jaemin placed his hand on Jaemin’s cheek, cupping it gently as if he was holding something so fragile - and maybe he was. Jaemin closed his eyes, missing Jeno’s touch.

“I can’t guarantee that we won’t experience a falling out. I can’t guarantee that our relationship will flow smoothly. I can’t guarantee that we won’t encounter problems. I can’t… guarantee that we’ll have the same sweet love as before.” Jeno slowly leaned to place his forehead on Jaemin’s. “One thing I can guarantee, though: I won’t stop loving you, so I’ll make sure that we’ll always find the solution to keep us together.”

Jaemin let out a shaky sigh, tears slowly rolling down his cheek. Jeno leaned away to wipe his tears, trying to hold himself back. When Jaemin wouldn’t stop crying, Jeno pulled him into a tight embrace, caressing his back.

Jaemin ended up sobbing harder, clinging to Jeno tightly. He cried his tears out on his shoulder, missing the arms he used to call home. He never felt like this ever. It was a mix of sadness, relief, and longing. He had always imagined that when they get back together, the two of them would be smiling. He never guessed that he would be sobbing in his arms, missing him so much.

“I’m… I’m so sorry… I’m sorry for leaving you… I’m sorry for being such a coward…”

“Hush. It’s not only your fault. I should have chased for you when I had the chance. Instead, I just stood there and let you go.”

Jeno continued caressing Jaemin’s back, hoping that the other one would feel comforted with his touch. For a moment, it felt like it was only the two of them.

Until Chuseok barked again. Jaemin let out a chuckle, sniffing afterwards. He shivered at the cold, his body finally realizing that they are, in fact, outside, and he’s still not appropriately dressed. Jeno chuckled and took his scarf off, wrapping it around Jaemin’s neck.

“You’re also bad with the cold, Jeno.”

“Not as bad as you. Besides, I’m not the one who went out without a second layer. I’ll be fine.” Chuseok barked again. Jeno crouched down to rub her head. “Guess she’s tired over being ignored. Could we go to the park? There, I could at least let her run off freely.”

“It’s fine with me.”

Never mind how he’s still underdressed; the sweater helped a little and the sun wasn’t as shy as in the early morning. At least it was a bit more tolerable.

As they arrived by the open field, Jeno takes the leash off from Chuseok and let her play by herself. There were some dogs around, so she easily made friends by herself. Jaemin watched her fondly, obviously pleased with her.

“Do you like her?”

“She’s adorable.”

“Would you… perhaps want to see her again?”

“I’d love to.”

“On Christmas Eve?”

Jaemin looked at Jeno with an eyebrow raised.

“Are you asking me on a date?”

“Maybe I am, but it could just be, you know, just two guys hanging out on the night before Christmas.”

Jaemin snorted, slapping Jeno’s arm.

“What if I say I’m busy?”

“Then I guess it’s just me and Chuseok who’s going to eat that cake.”

“...Okay, so maybe I’m _not_ busy.”

“Better unblock me later, then. I won’t be able to text you the details.”

“Better start learning how to send a letter then.”

Jeno laughed.

“Are you serious?”

Jeno felt his phone vibrate. He checked it and smiled.

_See you on the 24th!_

 

Jaemin wondered if he looked fine. He didn’t want to look like he’s desperate on getting them back, but he didn’t also want to look like he just threw this outfit on in the last minute. He ruffled his wavy hair, wondering if he should style it up. Blowing a raspberry, he decided against it. An exposed skin would just mean higher chances of being in contact with the winter wind and honestly, he doesn’t want to get sick while he’s on a date.

When Jaemin arrived at their meeting place, Jeno was already there, coolly leaning on the wall while his Samoyed was sitting patiently while its tail wagged in anticipation. When he noticed Jaemin, he smiled and waved his hand, standing up straight.

“Did I make you wait?”

“Not really. I just got here five minutes ago. Chuseok is too excited; she stopped at almost every Santa and reindeer. I guess she likes Christmas.”

“That’s adorable.”

Jaemin leaned down to pat Chuseok’s head and giggled when she greeted him with a lick on his hand. Jeno watched him with a fond smile and cleared his throat when Jaemin was taking too long in playing with her.

“Shall we?”

Jeno offered his arm. Jaemin reluctantly slung his arm around it, smiling shyly afterwards.

“Where are we off to?”

“Well, we could walk around to see the lights and the giant Christmas tree in the center. Would you like to be at the countdown with the rest of the population?”

“Ah, no big crowds, please.”

“Then, we could go somewhere else during that time.”

They head onto the busy streets where the shops were located at. There were mostly couples walking around and a few families enjoying their time together. The shops were lively, adorned with Christmas lights and decorations. Some had Christmas jingles playing.

The street was bustling with people so Jeno held Jaemin close. Jaemin held onto Jeno’s arm tightly, excusing to himself that it’s cold and Jeno is warm (even if he isn’t really that warm). As they were nearer to the center, it felt a little less crowded because the place was wide. In the middle was the tall Christmas tree Jeno was talking about. The theme for this year was white and gold Christmas, so it was a magnificent sight to see. The actual tree was white while the details and the lights were gold. Jaemin gasped when he saw it.

“It’s so pretty…”

Jaemin whispered. Jeno smiled and nodded in agreement, looking at Jaemin with a soft gaze.

“Indeed, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”

Jaemin looked at Jeno and this time, Jeno didn’t look away but instead, his smile only grew, reaching to his crescent eyes. Jaemin chuckled, his teeth showing as he couldn’t help but smile widely back at Jeno. For a moment, they just stared at each other, smiles reflecting the other’s. _Just like before._

Jaemin looked down, shying away from the stare. Jeno continued to look at him.

“I… never guessed that I would spend my Christmas with you again. Even if I hoped we’d get back together… I always told myself it’s never going to happen, especially with us having no communication.” Jaemin looked at Jeno with a small smile. “Thank you… for walking back into my life.”

“Don’t thank me; thank Chuseok.”

At the mention of her name, she barked happily, its tail wagging side to side as usual. Jaemin chuckled.

“Thank you, Chuseok, for running into my life.”

Jeno laughed.

“I’m sorry if she bothered you. You didn’t get any scratches, right?”

“Nope. She’s playful but careful. Besides… she brought me back to you.” Jaemin placed his hand on Jeno’s cheek. “Maybe we could work out after all.”

“Well, are we not? We seem to be sweet like before.”

Jaemin teasingly pushed Jeno way.

“I don’t know, Jen.”

“Jen… It brings back memories. Should I start calling you Nana again?”

“That’s so high school. Just stick to Jaem.”

“Mhm… What about ‘love’? Does that sound okay?” Jaemin felt his cheeks heating up after hearing the way Jeno said it. He looked away, trying to calm himself down. He heard Jeno chuckle. “Guess it’s too much?”

“...Very. Let’s stick with Jaem for the meantime.”

“All right. I can wait.”

After enjoying the view, the two decided to leave the area, noticing how it was getting crowded. They went back to the streets, which had less people now since everyone is rushing to be there at the countdown for Christmas.

“Where are we headed off to?”

“No idea. Where do you want to go?” Jaemin mumbled his reply. “What?”

“Ijustwanttobewithyou.”

Jeno snorted.

“Well, me too, but we can’t just walk around here over and over again. Want to grab some cake then eat it somewhere?”

“Sure?”

They head off to the cake shop, getting themselves a slice. Chuseok patiently waited outside and happily ate the treat Jeno gave her, thanking her for being an obedient dog. Jeno offered the leash to Jaemin.

“Can I?”

“She’s a good girl today. I’m sure you can handle her.”

And Jeno’s words proved to be right. Chuseok calmly walked, sometimes pulling on Jaemin if he found something interesting but most of the time, she was behaving well. Jeno silently thanked her for not being in her hyperactive mood or else she could’ve dragged Jaemin somewhere and possibly break his arm.

Or maybe that’s an exaggeration.

“I still don’t know where we should stay and eat this.” Jeno complained, scratching his head. Suddenly, he thought of something, but hesitated on it. He wondered if it’s too early. “...Want to go to my place? I don’t have any weird intentions, I swear!”

Jaemin laughed at Jeno’s flustered tone, Jeno pouting at him.

“I wouldn’t mind. It’s been awhile since I’ve been there.”

They walked to Jeno’s place since it wasn’t too far off and Jaemin liked the idea of simply walking together. When they arrived, Jeno wondered if the place was decent enough and sighed in relief when he saw no mess as he entered. As they got in, Chuseok waited for Jeno to take her leash off before heading to her bed. Jeno gestured at Jaemin to continue walking.

“Just make yourself feel at home. I’ll, um, get us some plates and drinks, though I don’t think I have anything here… Is water fine?”

Jeno asked, a little embarrassed. He didn’t expect that he’d gain the confidence to invite Jaemin to his place, so he didn’t prepare. Fortunately, Jaemin didn’t seem to mind.

He placed the small plates on the table, putting a fork each. Jaemin took out the slices of cake while Jeno went back to the kitchen to get some water for both of them. Chuseok barked, so Jeno also prepared something for her.

When Jeno came back, Jaemin was looking around in his place, as if trying to compare to how it looked before. He had this small smile on his face and Jeno wondered if Jaemin is reminiscing the past.

“Find anything amusing?”

“It hasn’t changed much. You really don’t like renovations.”

“Nope. It’s not my thing at all.”

They conversed over their food, fondly talking about the past. Jaemin seemed to feel better when thinking about them, and Jeno hoped that this would continue to flow smoothly. He couldn’t help but smile when Jaemin still remembers the tiny details and how his eyes would sparkle a little when he remembers something Jaemin didn’t expect he’d remember. It was like re-opening a treasure chest they once locked away and found recently, talking over fond memories with each treasure they find inside it.

Midway through the conversation, Jeno felt this phone vibrate so he excused to check it.

_Merry Christmas, idiot! I hope you and Jaem are going well. You guys deserve a sweet Christmas together again! Let’s hang out soon! -Hyuck_

Jeno showed the text to Jaemin, who chuckled at it. He glanced at the time and gasped.

“Oh, it’s Christmas now! Merry Christmas!”

Jaemin happily greeted him, clapping his hands. Jeno smiled back.

“Merry Christmas to you too. Let me get you my gift.”

“What? I didn’t prepare you one!”

Jeno laughed, shaking his head.

“I just found this. I didn’t prepare it.” Jeno went back with a small treasure box. “Open it.”

Curiously, Jaemin opened it, his eyes tearing up when he saw the contents. Inside were two rings he recognized too well. After all, it was their promise rings that Jaemin got for them on their first anniversary.

“...I never knew you kept it.”

“You gave it to me and everything you give me, I keep them, if I can.” Jeno explained, as if it was common sense. “Are you fine on wearing it again?”

“...I think so.”

“Can I put it on you?”

Jaemin nodded and gave Jeno his hand. Jeno slipped Jaemin’s ring around his finger and smiled when it still fitted nicely. He wore his by himself and wiggled his fingers.

“I can’t believe I’m wearing this again.”

“I want to give it back to you, since you own it. And… I was hoping that when I give it back, you would be fine on me courting you.”

“Courting? Jeno, you don’t have to.”

“I want to win you back, Jaemin. I’m sure… you’re not ready to say ‘yes’ to a relationship just yet.”

Jaemin only nodded, knowing that Jeno is right. He didn’t want to let go of words he might regret on afterwards. He wanted to take things slow and rebuild their relationship in their own pace. Jaemin yawned and Jeno chuckled.

“Shall I drive you back home?”

“Yes, please.”

Jeno led Jaemin to his car and opened the door for him. Jaemin slid in, yawning again. Jeno got in and started driving.

“Living in the same place?”

“Yeah… Do you still remember?”

“I think I still do. Mind if you guide me?”

“Sure… Turn right there.”

Jeno followed silently, smiling triumphantly when his memory served him right. There were some turns that he was unsure of, so thankfully Jaemin was awake enough to inform him. He drove slowly, wanting to stay with Jaemin more and also it was better to be safe since there could be a lot of reckless drivers nearby.

When they arrived, Jeno didn’t immediately unlock the doors. Jaemin stayed in his place, his hand holding onto the seatbelt and wondering if he should leave now or say something else other than -

“Thank you for tonight. I haven’t felt… this warm on a winter day.”

“Thank you too for coming with me.”

Silence. Jaemin wondered if he should leave, but he didn’t want to.

“...Good night, Jen.”

Jaemin took the seatbelt off and leaned towards Jeno, pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. When he leaned away, he had a shy smile on his face, biting on his lower lip. After a few seconds of being dazed, Jeno snapped out of it and chuckled, rubbing his nape.

“I missed that. Sweet dreams, Jaem.”

“Text me… when you’re home.”

“Yes, I will.”

Jaemin left the car and waved his hand. He waited for Jeno to leave and when he did, he lets out a sigh then went inside his apartment. He changed into loose and comfortable clothes and jumped on his bed, feeling a little tired from all the walking. He felt his phone vibrate so he checked it, a smile appearing on his face.

_I’m home. Thank you for tonight. Let’s continue to see each other, okay? Good night, Jaem. Sweet dreams. Merry Christmas!_

His phone vibrates again.

_I almost forgot! I love you._

Jaemin placed his phone close to his heart, squealing a little. He types in his reply.

_Merry Christmas, Jen!_

_Good night._

_I hope to Chuseok again!_

His phone vibrates seconds later.

_Just Chuseok?_

Jaemin chuckled, typing his reply.

_You too, dummy._

_I forgot something!_

_I love you too, Jeno._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> well im glad that's over.
> 
> i hope you liked it! check out the rest of the collection! ^^
> 
> leave a comment, i'd appreciate it! thank you for reading <3


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